Duels in the Sky

[tigercat]

I have just been reading Duels in the Sky by Captain Eric "Winkle" Brown and as well as looking at actual face offs there is a Theoretical section which gauges aircraft from different theatres against each other and also ones from the same side and from different time periods. The first section is The greatest Fighter of World War 2

Hellcat II vs FW 190 D-9  Verdict no contest clear win for the Focke
Hellcat II vs Me 262A-1a    Verdict one sided affair win for the Me262
Mustang IV vs Zeke 53       Verdict certain if not easy victory for Mustang
Mustang IV vs George 12    Verdict victory for Mustang but hard work
Spitfire X1V vs Zeke 53       Verdict Zeke thoroughly outclassed
Spitfire vs George 12           Verdict victory for the Spitfire
TempestV vs Zeke 53    Verdict odds in favour of Tempes but with possibility of Stalemate
Tempest V vs George 12  Verdict finely balanced but with George having slight edge
Zeke 32 vs FW190 D-9  Verdict superior technology would lead to a German win
F6F-3 Hellcat vs Spitfire IX  Verdict odds heavily favour the Spitfire
Mustang IV vs Spitfire XIV  too close to call  



list in order of merit

1 Spitfire and FW 190
3 Hellcat
4 Mustang
5 Zeke
6 Tempest
7 George


What do people think ? What other duels would people like to see between aircraft that might not have met otherwise?

[Chris707]

Hmmm...good question...

CAAC Sabre vs MiG-17
F-86H vs MiG-17
F-89 vs MiG-15 - see if the Scorpion could do as well as the F3D did over Korea
Spiteful vs Martin-Baker MB.5
F3F vs A5M
P-80 vs Me-262
P-80 vs MiG-9
Fireball vs MiG I-250
Me-262 vs B-29
F-100 vs MiG-19
FJ-1 vs Me-262
Sabre vs Ta-183
------------------------------
F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II

[Joe C-P]

Where's the Corsair? Tigercat? Bearcat? P-38L?

Here's one - F-14 vs. F-15. This really could have happened - how? 

[Scooterman]

Here's one - F-14 vs. F-15. This really could have happened - how? 

Easy.  Iran and Israel.  Also could get some F-4 on F-4 action too!

[ChernayaAkula]

Here's one - F-14 vs. F-15. This really could have happened - how? 

Maybe it did happen! Iranian F-14s vs Saudi F-15s. As far as I know, Saudi F-15s did mix it up with Iranian F-4 Phantoms during the Gulf War (between Iraq and Iran) and shot two of them down.

[Fulcrum]

Here's one - F-14 vs. F-15. This really could have happened - how? 

Maybe it did happen! Iranian F-14s vs Saudi F-15s. As far as I know, Saudi F-15s did mix it up with Iranian F-4 Phantoms during the Gulf War (between Iraq and Iran) and shot two of them down.

In Tom Clancy's Debt of Honour, the climax air battle of the book shows JASDF F-15J's fighting it out with USN F-14's. But there are no incidents of F-14's v. F-15's in RL.

How about these matchups: ME 109 v. Zero
                                      Mig-29 v. Mirage 2000
                                       Hawk v. L-159
                                       ME 109G v. FW-190D
                                       ME 262 v. Mig-15
                                       Ta-183 v. Mig-9
                                       ME 262 v. Ta-183

[tigercat]

There's  a seperate section on the Greatest Naval Fighter which I'll put up when I can find some time also I believe Captain Brown has only included aircraft he has flown personally.

[Caveman]

Hmmm...good question...

CAAC Sabre vs MiG-17
F-86H vs MiG-17
F-89 vs MiG-15 - see if the Scorpion could do as well as the F3D did over Korea
Spiteful vs Martin-Baker MB.5
F3F vs A5M
P-80 vs Me-262
P-80 vs MiG-9
Fireball vs MiG I-250
Me-262 vs B-29
F-100 vs MiG-19
FJ-1 vs Me-262
Sabre vs Ta-183

Missing the sabre killing Gnat?